December 14, 2024: Ice Event Preliminary Info

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Ice Reports
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Fast Facts

Widespread freezing rain occurred across eastern Iowa, northeast Missouri, and west central and northwest Illinois on Saturday, December 14.

Some of the more notable reports that we know as of Saturday afternoon are:
- Many slick roads in and around the Cedar Rapids, IA metro area where over a half inch of flat ice was observed (CID Airport of 0.59" as of 1 P.M.)
- Iowa City, IA saw over a quarter inch of ice accumulation
- Multiple jackknifed trucks on I-80 as reported through social media
- Numerous power outages in southeast Iowa and far west central Illinois
- McDonough County in west central Illinois, including the Macomb area, saw several large branches down due to ice; nearby Industry
The conditions that helped this event produce 6-12 hours of icing were:
- A recent very cold air mass from Wednesday afternoon through Friday, which chilled pavement temperatures
- A weather system passing to our south spreading warm air northward aloft but not as quickly at the surface -- a recipe for freezing rain
- Wind! Winds gusting 20-30 mph from the east helped aid in ice accretion, especially where rainfall rates were not overly heavy
NWS Quad Cities and offices to the west, north, and east had issued winter headlines in advance of this, including an Ice Storm Warning for a large portion of eastern Iowa and immediate adjacent areas.

NWS Quad Cities issues Ice Storm Warnings (widespread >0.25" of ice and associated impacts) about once every three years. The last Ice Storm Warning for the area was Feb 22, 2023.

Ice Accums

Ice Reports

For an interactive map of ice reports, please see here.



Freezing Rain Reports Listed By Amount 

 INCHES  LOCATION                 ST  COUNTY           TIME
 ------  -----------------------  --  --------------   -------
  0.6    Cedar Rapids Airport     IA  Linn             0100 PM
  0.5    2 SW Williamstown        IA  Johnson          0900 AM
  0.4    Marion                   IA  Linn             0137 PM
  0.4    Industry                 IL  Mcdonough        1150 AM
  0.4    Colchester               IL  Mcdonough        0934 AM
  0.3    1 S Washington           IA  Washington       1100 AM
  0.3    1 W Sigourney            IA  Keokuk           1042 AM
  0.3    2 ESE Iowa City          IA  Johnson          1056 AM
  0.3    Iowa City                IA  Johnson          0855 AM
  0.3    1 ENE Fairfax            IA  Linn             0940 AM
  0.3    3 N Marion               IA  Linn             0608 AM
  0.2    4 S Atkins               IA  Benton           1027 AM
  0.2    1 NE Spring Grove        IA  Des Moines       1112 AM
  0.2    1 ENE North English      IA  Iowa             0933 AM
  0.2    1 SSW Mooar              IA  Lee              1042 AM
  0.2    2 N Ely                  IA  Linn             0922 AM
  0.2    Carthage                 IL  Hancock          0909 AM
  0.2    1 SSW Cordova            IL  Rock Island      1110 AM
  0.2    Moline Quad-City Airpor  IL  Rock Island      0100 PM
  0.2    Lowden                   IA  Cedar            1218 PM
  0.2    Stanwood                 IA  Cedar            0904 AM
  0.2    1 ENE Burlington Region  IA  Des Moines       1108 AM
  0.2    2 SSE Burlington Region  IA  Des Moines       1011 AM
  0.2    1 SW Perlee              IA  Jefferson        1044 AM
  0.2    3 N Marion               IA  Linn             0903 AM
  0.2    2 E Hiawatha             IA  Linn             0858 AM
  0.2    Davenport Airport        IA  Scott            1217 PM
  0.2    3 W Mount Sterling       IA  Van Buren        1101 AM
  0.2    Washington               IA  Washington       1052 AM
  0.2    1 W Industry             IL  Mcdonough        1205 PM
  0.2    Macomb                   IL  Mcdonough        0804 AM
  0.2    3 ENE Charlie Heath Mem  MO  Clark            0628 AM
  0.2    1 S Montrose             IA  Lee              0830 AM

Photos

Colchester, IL (McDonough Co) from Jesse Risley.

Other

To be added by Sunday morning.

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NWS Quad Cities, IA/IL Past Events Page